1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of MEMS gyroscopes capable of simultaneous measurement of angular position and angular rate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
All micromachined gyroscopes are vibratory in nature, measuring either angular rates by detecting energy coupled between orthogonal vibration modes due to Coriolis force or angle of rotation through the precession of an oscillation pattern. In a rate gyroscope, a structural element is forced into oscillation in one principle structural mode, designated the “drive” mode. The presence of rotation induced Coriolis force couples the sustained oscillation into an orthogonal structural mode, designated the “sense” mode. The magnitude of vibration induced in the sense mode is proportional to the rotation rate of the device.
However, these devices require integration of the electronic output signal to obtain orientation, magnifying drift and noise errors causing reduced performance. Prior work in the state of the art has produced a micromachined angle measuring gyroscope. However, the prior art control electronics of the gyroscope does not allow for the simultaneous detection of angular position and angular velocity. At present, no micromachined angle measuring devices exist on the market since designers are focused exclusively on the design of micromachined rate measuring gyroscopes. These devices require integration of the electronic output signal to obtain position, magnifying drift and noise errors which results in reduced performance.